Beauty Joy Amidst War: Letters from Kyiv

A short poem in the moment

Child playing in Kyiv on 5th day of war. Photo by Author

Death surrounds us, the feeling of it, you can smell it in the air
Dogs sniff the newly fallen snow on the streets of Kyiv
On this first day of Spring on the fifth day of this war
Old women smile as I pass, one greeting in Ukrainian the other in Russian
They were walking together and they made that moment count for me
My wife walking toward me and not seeing me as she is on her way for groceries
Is so beautiful before and after she notices me as she crosses to greet
We are surviving, she doing her errand and I doing mine
Our paths cross briefly and her smile and joy at seeing me and the dogs is infectious

Door of St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral. Kyiv 5th day of war. Photo by Author

Old church doors which are never closed yield their intricate detail
The light falling snow cleans the ugliness of the streets
My dogs go about in their own joyous away oblivious of man’s disaster
A young child giggles and laughs on the self-propelled merry-go-round
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young play in the background as I sit
Smoking what may be the last of my pipe tobacco as the smoke wisps up
Even now, even here, there is plenty to bring joy
Death is knocking and hanging around everywhere
But that cannot take away the beauty and joy of the small moments